Forest Fest

Saturday, April 18, 2026 |10 am-2 pm
Downtown Wake Forest

Join us along Festival Street (Owen Avenue) and Brooks Street (including Centennial Plaza and Town Hall Parking Lot) in downtown Wake Forest on Saturday, April 18, for the 5th Annual Forest Fest!

Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. in partnership with the Town of Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Farmers Market. This fun-filled event will feature entertainment, a tree seedling giveaway, educational opportunities, children's activities, vendors, food options, and much more! This family friendly event celebrates the outdoors and the heart of Wake Forest!

2026 Entertainment & Activities

Arbor Day Tree Seedling Giveaway - Town staff and volunteers will distribute 2,700 oak, river birch, and redbud seedlings - while they last. (PNG, 249.66 KB)
- Musical Entertainment
  - DJ 10 am-2 pm
  - Luke Vandergriff - Showtime: 12:30 pm Town Hall's Centennial Plaza. Multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and visual artist that builds instruments from bottles, cans and repurposed materials.
Blooming In the Forest - Local Floral Arrangement Competition
- Brandi's Botanicals
- Garden of Eden
- Heritage Floral
- Wake Forest Florist
Raleigh Mobile Petting Zoo
InterACTive Theatre of Jef - Showtime: 11 am Town Hall's Centennial Plaza
Kerr Family YMCA - Activities for children
Wake Forest Farmers Market - Extended hours 8 am-2 pm

Food Trucks

Parking

Free parking is available along several side streets and parking lots in downtown Wake Forest, including Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

(PDF, 603.43 KB)

However, some parking lots may appear to be public, when in fact they are private, such as the Renaissance Plaza parking lot. Read all signage in the parking lot to determine what type of lot you are using. Private lots are intended for business patrons only.